Greater Than Midnight
by Romantic Pagan
Summary: *Full summery inside* Sterling is left alone and depressed when Elise chose Tegan. Could there be a special breedmate out there for him? *Slash warning!* Delicious male on male love! Don't like? Don't read. Sterling/ Male OC
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note****:**

**Hey guys! So I've had this story tossing around in my head for a while. Updates will be slow because I only have 3 chapters written, and right now RL is kicking my ass. I have finals in 2 weeks so after that I should be able to get more done. For now, expect Chapter 2 on May 5, 2012.**

**Drop me a line and tell me what you think. I'd love to know. **

**This story takes place after _Shades of Midnight. _(Because I haven't been able to read past that.)  
**

**Summery:**

**Jamie Cross buried himself in work after a nasty break up with his last boyfriend. When a walk home goes horribly wrong, his life gets turned upside-down. Suddenly, vampires are real. His best friend Gabrielle is in fact not dead, and happily mated to one of these beasts. Last but not least, the male that saved him, might need saving instead.**

**After Elise turned him away, Sterling Chase gave up on women. As he fights a losing battle with blood lust when he finds a young man under the fangs of a rogue. Could there be a special Breedmate just for him?**

**Rating****:**

**Mature! Slash content and violence with fowl Language! Possible Lemons but I'll warn you when and if that happens.**

**Disclaimer:  
**

**I own nothing! The Midnight Breed Series belongs to the wonderful Lara Adrian and she rocks my socks! all other Copywrite material belongs to the respective owners and not me! No copywrite fragment intended, purely for entertainment use only!**

* * *

Chapter One

The clock on the wall hit the midnight hour with a quite chime. The barely audible sound was enough for Jamie Cross to look up from the invoices that covered his desk. His small art gallery was long closed but he was still there. He ran a hand through his blond hair limp and looked as tired as he felt.

Jamie sighed and failed to ignore the picture frame on the left side of the desk. The picture had been taken a few years ago with his three best friends; Kendra, Megan, and Gabrielle. Megan was the only one left from the photo. Kendra had been found at the base of a building down town, suicide. Gab had gone missing and was now considered dead.

The past few months he'd spend most of his time at the gallery. After David had delivered the "sorry but I actually like women" line, Jamie was heart heart broken. He buried himself in any work he could find, often staying at the gallery late at night doing meaningless tasks to keep himself from going back to his empty apartment so full of memories.

_At least here I have the art for company_ he thought cleaning his desk slowly in an effort to pass more time. Ever sense he was a little boy, pictures and paintings would speak to him. Sometimes sculptures if he tried hard enough. They wouldn't say much, just a few things. Some pictures, like the one on his desk didn't speak. He'd found that any picture taken of someone he knew in person wouldn't talk with him.

"_Are you leaving yet?"_ the painting in his office was of an old woman in a rocking chair. She normally looked out the window that she sat next to but now she was looking right at Jamie.

Jamie didn't answer, not wanting to encourage her. Instead he left his office locking the door behind him.

His gallery was on a shadier part of town, a fact he hated more now that he was out well past midnight every night. Jamie shivered pulling his coat tighter as he locked the gallery's front doors and pulled the security gate down from over head.

Satisfied that things were locked he began to walk to his apartment building six blocks away. The streets were empty, and the sounds from downtown sang harshly through the air. Dogs in passing yards barked and a car would roll by every once and a while.

About two blocks in Jamie felt a chill go down his spine. He turned to see if anyone was following him but saw no one. He clutched his bag tighter and walked quicker.

He then heard footsteps and bit his lip. _Relax, they're not following you._ He told himself. The steps got closer and Jamie tried not to run.

_Only three more blocks, where are all the damned taxi_s? He thought as the panic began to creep into his veins. His effort to keep the fear from his face failed completely as he rounded the corner.

Footsteps were closer to him now but he didn't have a chance to pull his phone out.

A large hand grabbed the back of his black coat forcing him into the alley. Jamie was forced face first into the red brick wall his attacker's hands covered Jamie's mouth and forced his head to the side. Jamie's eyes were wide and his screams for help were blocked by the large hand. His struggles were useless, the hands confining him were too strong.

_Oh fuck no!_ He thought as he felt his attacker's mouth and teeth against his neck.

Then he was free, his attacker's hand that had covered his mouth ripped his shirt as it was forced away. Jamie was spun around in the process and fell to the filthy ground of the ally.

He stayed on the ground and watched as two men faced off. One of them seemed to be protecting Jamie.

The man in front of him was tall and muscled with silvery blonde hair slicked back and he wasn't bad looking from behind. The guy had both hands on a gun pointed at what looked like a monster.

The other guy was equally tall and muscled, his eyes though...they were a bright _glowing_ amber eyes. _Holly shit, are those fangs?_ The man's canine's were well past his lower lip. His teeth were clenched together and he was hissing at the man with the gun.

"I don't think so," the man with his back to Jamie said. His voice was deep and deadly as the gun in his hands.

The monster hissed again, "this is no business of yours warrior," his voice was raspy, his fangs were obstructing his ability to speak.

Jamie couldn't move. Panic and fear gripped his heart.

"Like hell," the gun man said before popping off two rounds into the monster's body.

If watching a man, if you could really call him that, be shot wasn't enough, his body began to disintegrate into muck then into ash.

"Shit," Jamie gasped.

The gunman turned while holstering his gun. His eyes were a shocking shade of gray, and seemed to shimmer in the dim light from a nearby streetlamp. The man's facial features were sharp and angled. His bright blonde hair was beginning to fall into his face. He was wearing a black leather jacket, black tee-shirt, black fatigues, and black boots. His hips were adorned with sheathed knives and two holstered guns.

Jamie's eyes widened and he tried to sink into the wall. Why did these things happen to him? Of course, he would die at the hands of a completely hot guy.

The man looked him over and frowned, his eyes landing on Jamie's right peck. Jamie had a birthmark there but it never seemed this big of a deal. Sure, it was a moon and teardrop but it was just a birthmark.

The man's silver eye's met Jamie's blue ones again, "You don't have to be afraid," the man said. God, Jamie wanted to believe him, but the evidence of what just happened told him otherwise. The man went down on one knee in front of him in an effort to be eye level, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Who are you? Police? FBI?" Jamie's voice was shaky and higher than it usually was due to his still pounding heart.

The man shook his head, "none of the above, but something similar. My name is Sterling can call me Harvard," the man offered his hand.

Jamie stared at Sterling's hand like it would bite him before slowly taking it. Sterling's hand was warm, not chilled by the cold night air. "What can I call you?"

"Jamie Cross," Jamie answered before he could think about weather this was a good idea or not.

Sterling raised an eyebrow, "Alright Jamie Cross," he paused and pointed at Jamie's birthmark, "Interesting tattoo, where did you get it done?"

Jamie felt like he couldn't _not_ answer any question Sterling asked. He couldn't look away from those swirling silver eyes. "It's not a tattoo, it's a birthmark." Jamie's answer made Sterling frown.

* * *

**So, what did you think? Let me know and I'll see you on May 5th!**

**Peace, Love, and all that Jazz**

**~Romantic Pagan~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: **

**I'm not taking offence to the lack of reviews...sorry about the late update. I was moving from school back home for the summer. Here it is though, and it's longer than the last chapter.**

**If you read, then please review and let me know what you think? It really makes my day.**

* * *

Chapter Two

Sterling Chase strolled the city's west end, his eyes scanning the crowd for the beasts he was now sworn to kill.

Ever sense the loss of his sister-in-law to one of his brethren, he'd been on the streets every night. He couldn't help but see it as a betrayal on her part. Sterling could have given her anything she asked for and more. He would have been the perfect mate for her, but no; she had to ask Tegan for help.

Sterling shook his head to clear it. He couldn't have that shit coating his thoughts when he was out looking for rogue vampires. Blood addicts that only live for their next fix.

It was about four in the morning now and he knew he would need to be getting back to the compound soon. _Just one, let me smoke just one of the bastards, _he silently prayed.

Ask and ye shall receive, a young male with straggly blond hair falling in his eyes was hunched over and walking fast taking quick glances behind him.

The suck-head was closing in quick and grabbed the male, forcing him into the wall.

"Showtime," Sterling mumbled to himself, and he took out his customized Beretta pistol loaded with rogue smoking titanium rounds.

He came up behind the rogue too fast for the blood addict's mind to sense and yanked him away from the human male.

"I don't think so," he said aiming his pistol at the rogue with both hands.

The rogue hissed in anger. "This is no business of yours warrior," he said through his fangs.

Just in the beginning stages, fuck he hated doing this. _Just a few rounds in non-deadly points should tell me if he's too far gone or not_, he reasoned.

"Like hell," and shot a few rounds into the rogue. The sizzle of titanium meeting rogue blood reached Sterling's ears, giving him his answer as the rogue disintegrated in front of him.

Sterling sighed and holstered the gun before turning to the human male to scrub him. He met wide, frighted, deep blue eyes. The male's shirt was ripped from the rogue's hold being broken and he was on the dirty ally floor.

What really caught his eye was the crescent moon and teardrop birthmark on the male's right peck, just about to the collar bone. Sterling frowned, wondering if it was a tattoo.

"You don't have to be afraid," Sterling knelt in front of the human to be eye level, "I'm not going to hurt you."

The look in the human's eyes told him that the male doubted him but he took Sterling's outstretched hand"Who are you? Police? FBI?" the human's voice was shaky and high due to his still racing heart.

Sterling shook his head, "none of the above, but something similar. You can call me Harvard. What can I call you?"

"Jamie Cross," the human answered quickly. Sterling's mother had passed down her ability to force people to tell the truth when she asked a question down to him when he'd been born. The skill came in handy quite often, but he didn't advertise his talent openly.

"Alright Jamie Cross," Sterling raised and eyebrow and pointed at Jamie's birthmark, "Interesting tattoo, where did you get it done?"

Jamie's blue eyes never left Sterling's own silver ones as he answered. "It's not a tattoo, it's a birthmark."

This made Sterling frown. Male's couldn't be breedmates. He didn't have time to contemplate anything at this point. The sun would be up in a few hours and he needed to get back to the Order's compound. He needed to convince Jamie to come back to the compound with him so Gideon could run some tests.

Sterling smiled, "why don't you let me drive you home? So I can make sure you get there alright," he offered. He would trans Jamie once they were in the car and take him to the Order. He'd come up with some excuse later.

Jamie looked at Sterling warily, "are you sure? You don't have to."

Sterling shook his head, "It would be my pleasure, I'm parked just around the corner," he indicated the corner behind him where his black sedan sat waiting.

"Well alright, but just because I haven't been near a hot guy for a while," Jamie blushed looking at the street adjusting the strap on his shoulder.

Sterling looked away awkwardly, "uh...this way," Sterling lead the way to his car and as soon as Jamie was buckled in, Sterling pressed his palm to Jamie's forehead putting him in a trance.

As he began to drive he phone the compound.

"About time to phoned in, what's your status?" Gideon's British accent rang out from the phone causing Sterling to flinch.

"I'm on my way back, Gideon I think we have a problem," Sterling answered looking over at his sleeping passenger. His blood scent was permeating the close confines of the car. Oranges and fresh cranberries assaulted Sterling's senses.

"What's up man? Is it a 'I need some backup' problem or a 'call in the cavalry' problem?" Sterling could hear Gideon's fingers typing away at his keyboard as he prepared for whatever Sterling said next.

"You need to call in Lucan, and he can decide. I smoked a suckhead before it could bite it's victim."

"Where's the problem in that?" Gideon stopped typing on the other end.

"The victim is a breedmate, but it's a male. I saw the birthmark myself and confirmed that it's not a tattoo."

Gideon didn't speak for a while. If Sterling couldn't hear the other male breathing on the other end of the phone then he would have thought that Gideon had dropped the phone. "A male breedmate? Shit man, I'll call Lucan and see what he want's to do. In the mean time, bring the breedmate in."

Sterling nodded even though no one could see him as he sped through Boston's down town toward the compound. "Already on my way, I'm about 3 minutes out."

"Good see ya when ya get here," and the line dropped.

Now that there was some free moments, Sterling's mind began to contemplate how a male could be a breedmate. Breedmates were human female's that could carry a Breed Vampire's seed to full term. If this male was really a breedmate then how could that be possible?

How could the male even find a mate? Homosexuality wasn't something the Breed tolerated. Mainly because the Breed couldn't build numbers if the males were homosexual.

Minutes later Sterling was pulling into the large hanger that housed the Order's large fleet of black vehicles. Gideon was there to meet him, a wireless headset in his ear and Lucan's voice on the other end.

"About time man, Lucan's been yelling my ear off," The blonde vampire apparently had the headset muted because Lucan didn't respond to Gideon's comment.

Sterling said nothing as he went to the passenger side and picked Jamie up and out of the car, closing it with his boot.

* * *

"That him?" Gideon asked waking over to look at Jamie.

Sterling nodded, "His name is Jamie Cross."

Gideon looked at Jamie's birthmark and frowned in confusion, "that's the breedmate mark alright. Bring him to the medical wing and I'll take a look at him."

Sterling followed Gideon as he talked to Lucan, "Yeah, Harvard just got in with the male...I'm taking them to the Med wing as we speak to run a blood test or two...yeah will do, see ya in a bit." Hitting a button on the headset he ended the call.

"Lucan want's me to run the blood test's before I call everyone in," he reported, holding the door of the medical wing open for Sterling.

He set Jamie down onto a bed and waited for Gideon.

Gideon came back wearing latex gloves and had a tray with needles and tubes. He banded Jamie's arm and began to take blood, filling a couple vials with it.

The doors to the medical wing banged open as Gideon was bandaging the spot he'd taken the blood from.

"Where is he?" Lucan's deep voice broke the silence of the Medical wing.

Sterling turned, "here, Gideon just finished drawing blood. His name is Jamie Cross."

Lucan came over and looked at the breedmate mark on Jamie's chest. "and you're sure that it's not a tattoo?" Lucan gave Sterling an analyzing look.

Sterling nodded, "No one can lie to me," Sterling crossed his arms over his chest.

Lucan raised an eyebrow, "and how is that?"

Sterling sighed rolling his eyes, "what's your brother's name?" Sterling asked staring Lucan in the eyes.

"Merak ," Lucan answered right away and looked away shaking his head to clear it. "What the fuck was that?"

"My talent, though I prefer to call it a curse."

Lucan nodded, "fine," he then turned to Gideon, "get started on those tests. I want results ASAP."

"On it," Gideon said heading into the adjoining lab.

The black haired vampire frowned looking at Jamie. "I think I know this male."

Sterling's brow's furrowed, "What? How?" Sterling asked.

Lucan took a closer look at Jamie, "If I remember right, this is one of Gabrielle's friends." Gabrielle was Lucan's mate whom had a talent for finding Rogue and Breed lairs.

"You sure?" Sterling asked, glancing at Jamie again.

Lucan nodded, "yeah, I remember him. If he is what we think, how would that work?"

Sterling sighed, "I've been trying to figure it out myself."

Lucan nodded passively, "Maybe Gideon will be able to find out." He put his hand on Sterling's shoulder, "I've called a meeting in the Lab, first though I have to tell Gabrielle that Jamie's here or she'll kick my ass."

Sterling rolled his eyes, "you're pussy whipped Lucan," He chuckled as he walked out of the med wing.

Lucan smiled, "and proud of it."

* * *

**Remember to review and make me smile?**

**Thanks!**

**Peace, Love and all that Jazz,**

**Romantic Pagan**


	3. Chapter 3

******Authors note: Sorry for waiting so long to update this. Real life was a bit busy and I had a bit of writers block. **

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Three**

Jamie woke slowly, confused that he'd actually fallen asleep. His eyes were too heavy to open but his mind was whirling with a million questions at once. He was obviously not at home. The bed was a bit less than comfortable that his. The smell he inhaled was more medical. Was he in the hospital? But if he was then why? Was the man that saved him that worried about him?

When his eyes felt light enough to lift he opened them, only to quickly shut them again at the bright lights and groan.

"Jamie?" a very familiar female vice was by his feet. It was a voice he hadn't heard for almost a year. "Jamie are you alright?"

He opened his eyes again and this time the lights weren't as bright. It couldn't be...she was dead. "Gab?"

"Oh Jaime! When Lucan told me you were in her I panicked. Are you alright?" low and behold, Gabrielle was rushing to his right side and put her hand on his arm.

He sat up his body still feeling heavy. "But...you're...dead," Jamie said trying to comprehend what was happening. "How are you alive? Why haven't you call us?"

Gabrielle's face fell, "I'm so sorry Jamie, I couldn't tell you. Lucan's job isn't exactly normal." She threw her arms around him, "I'm so glad to see you again."

"Gab, where am I?" He looked around and his surroundings looked like a hospital of some kind. "Am I in the hospital?"

"No...well, kind of. You're at the Order's Headquarters in the med wing." She paused, "I need to explain some things. When I do, you need to swear to me that you won't tell a soul, this is very serious and privet stuff."

"Gab what have you gotten yourself into?" Jamie began to worry for Gabby. What if she was here against her will or if that man Lucan hurts her?

"Like I said, I have some explaining to do. I would like to do it somewhere more relaxed though," she turned away from him, "Hey Gideon? Can he leave?" she called.

A British male voice answered her back. "Sure, I'll come and get you if I need him again. Where will you take him?"

"My and Lucan's library." She turned back to Jamie. "Alright, let's go somewhere more comfortable."

She helped him down a never ending maze of halls, passing door after door and even a shooting rage. What the hell was going on here? She eventually opened a door on their right to a room that was floor to ceiling, books. There was elegant couches and arm chairs and several tables that had papers and open books on them. The walls had several of Gabrielle's pictures on them and a large tapestry with a man on a horse.

"Alright Gab, explain." Jamie sat on one of the arm chairs.

She sighed, "I'll start at the beginning. Do you remember when I first disappeared? Before you were taken and we met in that car with Kendra?" she asked.

Jamie nodded wondering what that had to do with it.

"Well, Lucan was in trouble. Lucan...he's a vampire." Gabrielle had never been the kind of person to believe in that kind of stuff but her face was so serious that Jamie knew she meant it. "The technical name for them is the Breed. Lucan is the leader of a group of breedmales called the Order. They fight the breedmales that have given in to their blood hunger called Rogues."

"But why are you with him Gab? Why are you with a vampire?" Jamie still had a hard time believing it but he chose to play along with her.

She smiled, "I'm called a Breedmate." She turned her head showing him a mark behind her ear that looked like his birthmark on his chest...exactly like it. "This birthmark normally appears on special females that can carry a breedmale's seed to term after they share a blood bond. Human females have to do it because Breed are only males."

Jamie was quiet for a while. Did his birthmark make him a breedmate? "so...that thing that Sterling killed was a..." he couldn't finish his question. This was all too crazy.

"Rogue," Gabrielle confirmed. "They're allergic to titanium, they're cells begin to break down. That's why it disintegrated."

Jamie ran his hands through his hair. "Please tell me this is all a bad dream? None of this should be real."

He felt Gabrielle's hand on his shoulder squeezing it for reassurance. "I wish it was for you. I wouldn't change my life to be honest. I love Lucan with all my heart. You'll meet a male too that will make you feel that way."

Jamie sighed, and something she said earlier came to his mind, "what did you mean by a blood bond?"

"Oh, that's when you and your chosen breedmale exchange blood." she answered. At the disgusted look on his face she explained a little more, "It's not as gross as it sounds, trust me. It makes the sex so much better," she winked trying to ease his tension.

He raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled. "Would you like to meet some of the other breedmates?"

"There's more?"

Gabrielle stood, "Oh yeah, come on. They're all at Savannah's place." He followed her through more maze like halls.

"How do you not get lost here?" he asked.

She laughed, "That's what I asked when I first came here. Don't worry it get's easier." she knocked on a door. "Savannah? It's me Gabrielle."

"It's open!" came a voice from inside.

Gabrielle opened the door to reveal a kitchen full of women. They all stared at him confused. "Ladies, this is Jamie. Jamie this is Savannah, Tess, Dylan, Elise, Alex, Renata, and the little one is Mira." She pointed to each Breedmate as she said their names and they gave Jamie unsure smiles and waves. "He's has a Breedmate mark, Gideon's doing some tests, but I have a feeling he's one of us."

The one Gabrielle called Savannah smiled, "Jamie? Can you do anything unusual or special? I for example can know an object's history by touching it, Dylan can see dead breedmates. Renata can cause psychic pain. Tess can heal. Elise can hear your darkest thoughts," she trailed off waiting for Jamie's answer.

"Well...Picture's talk to me, but only if I don't know the person the picture is of," Jamie said nervously. He was sure he sounded crazy. "I can have full conversations with them if they let me."

"That's so cool!" Dylan enthused, "better than seeing dead people."

"So are you bonded with any of the other males?" Tess asked.

Jamie shook his head.

"He's still getting used to everything. I gave him the full run down of things." Gabrielle turned to him, "you can ask us anything you'd like. It doesn't matter what it is. We've all been where you are."

These women were so warm and welcoming it was almost a crime. He couldn't believe they were all so ready to accept him into their group. For once sense Gabrielle and Kendra left, he felt like he wasn't alone.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Lab, Lucan and the rest of the Order were waiting for the results of Gideon's tests. He came into the lab holding a jump drive and plugged it into one of the many machines at his large desk. "So, this is what we've got. This is a sample of Tess's blood on the right. The one on the left is Jamie's. From what I've looked at, they have similar hormone levels and even some of the same ones." he zoomed in on a cell. "when I go deeper, I can tell that by his DNA's structure, it _appears_ that he is indeed a breedmate. How it's possible is still a mystery but it's the truth."

Lucan shook his head. "Is there any record of this happening before?"

Gideon shook his head. "Not from what I can tell. I searched high and low for any bit of information but I got zip. If there is anything out there, its most likely not digitized. I'll email some of the dark havens and see if I can find anymore about this." He began to type a chain email to send to the darkhavens around the world.

"Gabrielle is explaining everything to him. I thought it would be better coming from her because he knows her." Lucan said pacing the floor.

"Never mind that to the outside world she's been dead for almost a year," Dante added.

Lucan gave him an angry look.

"But what are we going to do about Jamie? He can't go to the darkhavens, I know for a fact that the Boston darkhaven wouldn't even consider it a possibility." Sterling frowned, "If we're right and he's a kind of breedmate then we can't just let him go back into the world, especially sense Gabrielle probably already told him everything."

Lucan nodded thoughtfully, "Harvard is right, we can't let him return to the normal world. However, if darkhavens won't take him then we'll have to keep him here."

"A human male in the compound?" Kade asked unsure.

"Gabrielle has assured me that he's completely homosexual, your mates are safe," Lucan responded and Brock made a face but said nothing. "We'll have another meeting later before patrols."

Lucan stopped Chase from leaving and let the other males file out to find their mates or their beds. "Sense you brought him here, he's under your care and or protection. You don't have to love him, but don't get him killed.

Sterling frowned, "fine," Lucan nodded once satisfied and went to find Gabrielle.

Part of him wasn't happy about the arrangement but another was oddly excited. Sterling didn't understand why he was so...obsessed with Jamie Cross. Logically he saw no rhyme or reason to the fact. Yet, he still wanted to befriend him for some reason.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he ran into someone. The scent he inhaled was not one he recognized right away. It was woodsy, like fresh cedar wood and rain water. He looked down and saw Jamie blushing and backing away. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Sterling took a step back and shrugged, "It was my fault. I was lost in my thoughts. How are you coping with everything?"

Jamie seemed to relax and he shrugged, "Alright I guess. The other breedmates seem to think I'm a...breedmate too."

"Oh?" Sterling asked, surely they would know better than anyone, "Why is that?"

"They said I have a breedmate ability. I can communicate with people in pictures and paintings as long as I didn't know them personally."

Sterling was sure now. Jamie Cross was a breedmate. All the right signs were there, the scent, the birthmark, and the ability. The only question now was where did he belong?


End file.
